10 WTF Comic Book Movies

These atypical adaptions aren't what we expected, but sometimes that's a good thing.

When a show, story, or video game is popular enough, mediums inevitably mix; There are TV shows of films, films of comics, and comics of films. Some make total sense. A Batman movie? Awesome! An Assassin’s Creed movie? Sweet, let’s hope it’s not terrible. There are some transfers, though, that seem a bit … strange, or less.

Quite a few we didn’t know we needed until we realized that we totally do, and some should’ve stayed out of the comic book pages, but all are entries that we never thought would’ve become a comic until it was published. Comic book art is both a respectable medium and a go-to for franchises to squeeze extra money out of fans. The series that arise from that marketing ploy exist on a spectrum of quality. Let’s break down the best and the worst.

‘Scooby-Doo Apocalypse’

This series takes the groovy kids of old and turns them into futuristic and gun-toting badasses who fight the very real creatures of the night. DC Comics has five installments already planned, with two having released already, the next coming out next month.

The first issue introduces all the characters to each other, including Scooby, who wears an emoji-producing lens to better into better interact with humans who can’t understand his language. Also, a romance is teased between Freddy and Daphne, and between Velma and Shaggy, so the gang’s all grown up.

‘Fame’

This series of comic books focuses on the lives of various celebrities like Betty White, Conan, 50 Cent, Bono, and Katy Perry. Lady Gaga has multiple biographical comics written about her, but the other issues focus on popular stars and their lives.

Grumpy Cat

Already in the business of selling merchandise, guest appearances at conventions, and a movie, it’s really not surprising that Tartar Sauce (whose stage name is Grumpy Cat) has made her way into even more mediums than just memes. What’s a more natural medium for Tartar Sauce to shine than comic books? Her original rise to fame came by way of images overlaid with text online, so comics are a close cousin.

Her latest adventures started in October of last year, and they follow her and her sibling Pokey as they (but mostly Tartar Sauce) frown at everything they encounter.

David Lynch

You should know David Lynch for Dune or Twin Peaks. You shouldn’t know him for this comic. The comic was released post Twin Peaks, and the majority of the work is a single mug-shot of Lynch as he describes his creative process to a variety of different characters after his popularity declined a bit when the show ended. This didn’t really help.

Every horror film, basically

Friday the 13th: v.1

We still haven’t figured out why, but most well-known horror films and franchises have their own comic books. Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, and even Final Destination have released a comic book to sit alongside their movies. I’m just waiting for the next slasher to make an appearance in the comic book store. The second Purge movie is coming out, so maybe it’ll be that.

‘Back to the Future

This ongoing series of the adventures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown is published by IDW Publishing and it’s an improvement to the original comic book series from the 90s. These adaptions skip around different time periods, enlist the help of Doc Brown’s wife Clara, and loyally keep Marty’s red vest. The latest, Back to the Future #11: Continuum Conundrum Part 6 is set to release this August

‘Psycho’

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: Volume 1

This one is pretty much a frame-by-frame of the movie. And even though it was an odd choice to make into a comic book, this one is actually beautifully done. The painting by Felipe Echevarria is colorful and detailed, and the calligraphy and writing make for a paralleled experience with reading the comic and watching the film, so although most would cringe at having adapted a classic, this one pulls it off spectacularly.

‘Labyrinth’

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth is a strange, imaginative world of spectacles, including David Bowie’s vast collection of very tight pants. And manga outlining a sequel to Jake T. Forbes’ film maintains that sense of odd wonder. Toby, the kidnapped baby from the original movie, is depicted as a teenager who meets the goblin king yet again in Jim Henson’s Return to Labyrinth. The series comprises four volumes.

‘Shaun of the Dead’

Nobody knew that they needed this adaption of the Dawn of the Dead parody, but the artwork by Frazer Irving and writing by both Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg make for as entertaining an experience as a good sit down in front of the telly.

‘Ghostbusters’

While these don’t star the new team of the upcoming movie, the newest comic series Ghostbusters: International stars yet another new team. The originals still pop in from time to time. The characters not only team up with ghosts and ghouls on occasion, but have even lent a hand to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If that’s not an awesome crossover, I don’t know what is.